Warriors of Blue moon
Chapter 14 - Part 5, Return to Blue moon.

Another two weeks had slowly passed since being back in Blue Moon and luckily, the whispers and probing eyes had started to ease up. I had braced the village a few times now after I’d finally agreed to meet the girls at Maz’s. Of course, people came over and asked me questions but when the girls could see I had started to get fed up they decided to take me to Dakota’s and Sam’s apartment which was at the Palace. As Sam is Beta, he gets half of the third floor all to himself opposite Layton’s personal apartment and now he’s married to Dakota, that automatically makes her second Beta in command, which gives her as much right as Sam to reside in the Palace.

Dakota had told me Layton was with Sam in the office at the pack house so at least I knew I wouldn’t run into him, but I did see Florence practically the moment I stepped foot inside. She looked so elegant just as I always remembered her to be, only healthier and happier, with a nice glow to her skin. She smiled brightly as she ran over and gave me a big hug.

Once she had convinced the girls to let her steal me away, she took me to a long brightly decorated room, with cream walls and pastel green decor with posh cream quilted chaise lounges dotted around, two of them facing opposite each other with an expensive thick wooden table in the middle that had pretty carvings of a swirl pattern and a golden vase with bright green and white peonies resting in it. It smelt of wildflowers in the room and it made me want to have another run in the forest but this time as my human form.

“Sit” Florence pointed to one of the chaise lounges with a wide smile on her face. “I’ll call for some tea”. She pressed a little button on a little side table next to the lounge she was sitting on and within seconds a house maid had come to the large main doors of the room. “Can you bring us some tea please, Lydia”

“Of course, my lady” she bowed her head and left.

“So” She breathed out “Lelanna, it really is so good to see you, everyone’s been talking about your return, I hope you’ll forgive both me and my parents, we did want to come and visit but we weren’t sure if you were up to it, or if you’d even want to see us”

“Why wouldn’t I want to see you?... you look wonderful by the way Florence, you look so well”

“Oh thanks” she blushed with a shy smile “life has been so different now I don’t have to be so concerned for my health every moment of the day. I visit the village and the city most weeks now, I help hold a lot of events now and I help with many of the pack duties”

“Wow, I’m so pleased for you, that’s incredible, I’m glad things are better for you”.

The maid bought the two cups and a pot of tea on a silver tray and placed it on the table before bowing and leaving the room. Florence poured our tea and handed me a cup.

“Mmm, I love how soothing even a cup of tea can smell” I said dreamily, which earned a little chuckle from Florence.

“So, tell me, how are you replaceing it being back?”

“Uhh, well, it’s a lot to adjust to, but I’ve got great support, so I’m sure with a little time it’ll start to feel more normal”

"Oh Lelanna, I couldn’t believe it when I returned home with mother and Father to replace out what had happened. Ohh Layton was just beside himself, I never saw him in such a state”

“Oh really!” I said whilst rolling my eyes in annoyance “well he seemed to take on the roll rather well… anyway it’s done now… how was your travels?” I tried to change the subject, not wanting to discuss Layton with his own sister

“No, he really was… that’s why he led the searches to replace you”

I knew about the searches from what Dakota had told me, but I was curious to know more.

“Searches?”

“Yes, well, do you not know yet?”

I shrugged, not wanting to completely lie to her

“Well, when we got back and Layton had told us everything, mother and father set him straight on how the accusation should have been dealt with, you see Layton had no idea of the protocols, I suppose as nothing ever usually happens here, they thought he didn’t really need to learn all that just yet… not to mention he had all that wretched family breathing down his neck and trying to manipulate him into a brutal punishment!

Well, anyway, Layton was adamant that he would look for you himself, so week after week, him and your brother took twelve warriors with them each time and, well… they tried to replace you… only… well… they never found a thing. no trace of you at all”

I stared at my tea then looked at her as my brows furrowed “how long?”

“It went on for a year, but because they were taking warriors away from home so much and Layton and Sam weren’t present enough here to run the pack smoothly, well we were afraid things within the pack would go into uproar or enemies might hear of the Alpha never being here and decide to overthrow us, so mother and father put a stop to the search… they didn’t want to, they hoped just as much as both Layton and Sam that you’d be found.

Well, ever since then they had both been gloomy, they were so desperate to replace you. I suppose it was if all hope had gone for them. Of course, Sam found some happiness and comfort with Dakota, which I’m so thankful for because he was heartbroken about it all. But Layton, was just never the same. He would talk to me a lot during those times, but it was as if parts of him started to fade away piece by piece. Don’t get me wrong, he’s been a great Alpha and really looks after the pack, but he was always distant and would shut himself away when the day had finished, he would rarely even eat with us”

“Yes, I already know he feels guilty, but now he knows I’m alive and well, I’m sure that’ll soon pass.”

She looked at me slightly confused ”Yesss, he did feel an immense sense of guilt every day, I know it never left him, but Lelanna that wasn’t the only reason”

Now it was my turn to look confused

“Lelanna, he missed you and that never stopped or eased up, no matter how much we tried to distract him or comfort him, nothing seemed to work, and when he would talk to me, he would talk of how desperate he was to see you again and that no matter where he went, everything reminded him of you. He.... he told me about the time you had together on the field that day”

I blushed at her confession “oh” I gulped feeling caught off guard as I flashed back to how wonderful and happy I felt with him that day.

“Yes, and I know that he’s gone to that same field nearly every day… whenever everyone went off to lunch, most of the time he’d take himself to the field and eat there alone! He told me it’s the only place where he feels connected to you and hoped that one day he’d sit there and that you would turn up on the same field and sit with him… it was as if he was waiting for you.... for some miracle to bring you back”.

I gulped hard trying to digest everything she was telling me, but it was all so much, and I was trying not to let it pierce the wall I had put up when it came to anything concerning Layton. “Florence if he considered me as such a good friend then why… why did he just let me go so easily, he didn’t even say goodbye!”

“Well, I guess those are things you’d have to ask him, I think those are answers he’d want you to hear from himself. but… maybe because I’m on the outside of this I’m not blind to it but… Lelanna, he doesn’t just think of you as a friend… for Layton it goes much deeper than that”

“What?” I asked feeling taken aback “but… he’s never… I mean as in a best friend or more than a friend?”

She giggled sweetly ”Well again I think that’s something you and he need to work out and sort through but only when you’re ready to face it… I’m merely making you aware, just so that you know there’s more to it than you think”

I breathed out a long breath that was sitting it the pit of my gut as I placed my now empty cup back on the silver tray. she got up and sat down beside me, taking my hand in both of hers ”Lelanna please don’t be a stranger, I’d love for us to spend more time together when you’re feeling up to it of course and I hope… well… I hope you think about things and don’t make any rushed decisions. I want you to do what’s right for you but… I know how happy everyone is to have you back, so just please don’t rush off anywhere, ok?”

All I could do was nod with a forced smile.... jeez can this woman read my thoughts or something! it’s as if she knew I had my plans to leave soon.

"Well, I have to get back to the pack house, there’s a meeting that I need to attend. But can I visit soon?”

“of course, that’ll be lovely, it’s been wonderful to see you… just like it used to be”

“Indeed” she smiled as she looked at me with so much kindness and softness in her eyes. She gave me a warm hug as we got up to leave and I headed to the third floor to look at Sam and Dakota’s wedding pictures which I’d hoped would take my mind off all the information I had just taken in, all I wanted was a breather!

When me and the girls had awed over the wedding pictures with a glass of champagne I headed home and went straight to bed after the usual tight hugs and kisses from my family, all bar Sam of course. When a wave of anger washed over me, I had been so distracted and trying to get used to being here that I hadn’t yet dealt with the one person I should have been dealing with... Zara!

I grabbed my phone and sent a message to Sam. ”hey brother, can you set me up a visit to Zara’s cell tomorrow. please”

After a few moments he replied “Of course I can. You sure you want to see her?”

“definitely”

I waited eagerly for his reply which felt like an hour rather than mere minutes…

“Just spoke to Alpha Layton, its done, he’ll have to attend with you though as the guards won’t let you in without him or me”

“Why can’t you come with me instead?”

“We have a new group of warriors fresh out of training, it’s one of the Beta’s duties to show them around the training grounds and help set up new Patrol routines”.

“Ok. thanks Sam”.

Great, in my efforts to stay away from Layton I now have to see him tomorrow! But the main goal and my only goal right now is to deal with that bitch.